Bone plates have been used for many years in the field of orthopaedics. There have been many attempts to develop improved bone plates. For example, European Patent No. B 0355 035 teaches a bone plate with conical plate holes which provide a rigid connection between the plate and the fixation screws even after bone resorption has occurred. The plate disclosed in this European Patent has a concave bone-contacting surface which reduces the surface area of bone contact in order to improve the healing process. Published European Patent Application A 0 684 017 discloses a bone plate having widened plate holes on the upper side. Despite these and other advancements, all known bone plates have drawbacks. For example, common concerns related to the use of bone plates include strength of the implant, stability of fixation on the bone, and biological incorporation.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved bone plate. PA1 Optimum utilization of material characteristics through optimum distribution of tension when bending the bone plate, inserting the bone screws, and transferring the load in the implanted state; PA1 Optimum bearing surface on the bone; PA1 Optimum bearing force of the bone plate on the bone, which guarantees minimal disruption of blood supply; PA1 Blocking of the conical screw heads in the conical screw hole, which means that the transfer of force in the bone/plate bond is no longer based on friction, but instead forms a positive-locking system.